Anna K Higurashi
by The Storyteller of Old
Summary: Kagome is fed up with the life of an aristocrat, and she's even more fed up with the life of an aristocrat's wife. She meets a man named InuYasha with a striking resemblance to her husband, Sesshomaru. She knows if the public eye sees her betrayal, they'll cast her out. She knows if Sesshomaru sees them, she'll be without her son. How much should one love, love?
1. Chapter 1

Anna K Higurashi

Rated: MA

Summary: This is an adaptation of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, with a story twist.

Sometimes, I want to do _something wrong._ _Really_ wrong. As I burst through the double doors of Charliene and Gregory with my husband by my side, I want to forgo all the formalities and social norms. I look at the crowd of posers and snobs through half-lidded eyes. Drawn on black feathers cloud their true selves with sparkles ingrained in their minds. It doesn't bother me anymore. I don't even flinch because instead of looking at the glass half full, I use the emptiness to my advantage.

I strain my muscles until they form a smile. My husband turns to look me over and gives a polite smile in my direction. This is one of his few appraisals during our nights out. A rub on the back, an offer for a drink, or a gentle smile, signals I behaved appropriately or that I made him "proud".

Everyone is mostly already sitting, instead of the few hosts. The chairs and tables are pushed to the sides of the room allowing a huge gap for walking space. My dear friend Charlotte smiles, her genuine personality shining through and through. She adorns a lavender lace garment of different shades, her features highlighted with the popular warm palette of hues.

She rises and greets me with arms open. Two pale arms seeming to be carved from white stone hang comfortably from her chest. "Anna! Darling, I thought you wouldn't make it."

I bury myself in her arms with little grace and little disregard for our audience.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss this for the world," I said, regaining composure and hanging off the side of Sesshomaru.

"Oh, I see you brought Mr. Higurashi with you," she said softly, her mouth in a firm smirk with her eyebrow raised mischievously.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I do not see why you find this peculiar," I said my mouth in a quirk.

"There's nothing peculiar about bringing your _husband_ to an event." She snapped out her fan and began fanning herself to annoy me.

My husband squeezed the small of my back. "Mrs. Boudeff, congratulations. May I inquire as to where your husband is?"

"In the back." She pointed with her fan to a large opening in the room housing the males.

As he walked away, Charlotte stepped closer. "And, how is your marriage going?" Her eyes trailing the back of his suede suit jacket.

"Good," I replied, following her stare.

She snapped her fan against my shoulder. "Anna!" she admonished.

I shrugged, my eyes giving away my feelings.

"Well, I guess I can not fault you for wanting more," she spoke, looking down at me.

This was obviously my turn for raising an eyebrow. "And, what more do you want?" I asked, curiosity leaking through my voice.

"_Your_ husband," she stated.

I fell into laughter with her as we both migrated through the masses for conversing. I knew that she would never attempt to steal my husband. She is good-naturedly honest, and even attempted for my husband before he was my husband. He turned her down graciously, and made my parents an offer for me.

_I finished my elaborate hairstyle with an encrusted crest. I adorned a trailing white silk number that billowed with each step. It was the love of my life, and I hoped it would bring me enough luck to find another one. Today, the Higurashis were hosting a ball, and I wanted to find a husband. Many found husbands at age fifteen, but I was sixteen. My parents couldn't understand why I waited, or why I didn't drape myself over the many large profitable men who proposed. Waiting incensed them, but for me, it was power to choose who I wanted to be with for the rest of my life._

_I walked with my body standing tall through the hallways and into the carriage._

_I sat perched with my body halfway out the carriage surveying the competition. I gasped with recognition upon seeing a girl with long brown braids and a dark bonnet. _

"_Charlotte!" I exclaimed, climbing out._

"_Annie!" she cried, running towards me. _

"_I'm so excited! What if we both find our husbands here?!" I spoke in loud whispers._

_We both instantly squealed with our hands clasped._

_I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and as I turned around my father stood with annoyance but amusement in his eyes. _

"_Come, let us not keep them waiting with your feminine frivolities."_

_I followed Charlotte, our hands still clasped, when I glanced up at the grey bricked castle that was dimly lit with small fires giving it a romantic feeling._

_I just remember smiling and not being able to stop. Everyone was taller than I of sixteen summers, and seemed bigger than life._

_Women had dresses of many bright colors that sparkled and shimmered with each turn, and men with dark leather than formed to their bodies well._

_Then, time seemed to stop and everyone silenced. I fancied myself with the crackling fires connected to each wall. _

_I felt a desperate hand clawing my shoulder for attention. I turned to look at Charlotte in inquisition when I saw him._

_Sesshomaru Higurashi. _

_Her eyes slowly looked back into mine silently asking if I saw what she saw. I raised my eyebrow in question. _

_She suddenly rolled her eyes and continued to drool over him. I didn't see what everyone saw. He looked around my age, smart, fair skinned, and used to getting what he wanted. It didn't appeal to me to imagine a man who never had to fight for what he wanted, and it was always given on first command._

_But, apparently.._

_I turned to look at my friend. _

_It appealed to some._

_She constantly complained that I stuck my nose up at every man, but I didn't. I just wanted a man that found it important that he had me, instead of one of the many luxuries he was entitled to._

_The whole night carried on like the same as other nights._

_A man of about twenty five years sauntered towards me. I was busying myself glancing at my friend's hopelessness in sympathy. She still wanted Sesshomaru, but she wanted to get married more. _

_He licked his lips while staring appraisingly at my drink._

"_So, I'll take it red is your favorite?" he asked, smiling darkly._

"_It's okay," I replied, leaning back on the railing._

"_I'm a duke of England and I'm related to the King's nephew who is next in line to the throne if-"_

_I smiled graciously, watching the man in front of me drone on and on._

_Superficially, it might seem that he was offering himself to me but in reality…he was expecting me to offer myself to him. _

_I sighed internally, hearing the closing statement of men's prideful proposal memorized by heart._

"_So, I was wondering if you weren't married yet.." _

_Why would I be married and by myself at a ball? I wondered in silence._

"…_you would consider my offer," he finished._

_I restructured my face into one of genuine sadness. _

"_I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid I have to decline in your offer. You see…I can't possibly think about marrying a duke-" You're way too stuck on yourself, for one._

"_It would be such a large change to move to England, and my family would miss me so much-" Well, my family would adore you, and that's not enough for me to care about you._

"_So, you see…it brings me so much joy to hear someone of your status.." The very fact that you just puffed out your chest is why I decline._

"_But, I can't live up to that as a mere noble woman," I finished. His expression was one of longing and persistence. Oh, joy._

"_I see. I will garnish you with presents and offerings until you know how much I believe you will be greatest by my side."_

_I flipped back my hair in annoyance. Greatest?_

"_Your ladyship does not deserve such kindness especially at the tender age of sixteen." I uttered the words as my last weapon. There were many girls of riper stalk and he wouldn't attempt a sixteen year old with the option of a fifteen year old…possibly._

"_I will wait for you, my ladyship," he replied casually with a bow._

_My eyes traveled to his disappearing form. No, need._

_I felt someone else's eyes burning holes through my body. I turned to see the illustrious Sesshomaru Higurashi, walking towards me. _

_He stopped ten feet away._

_He bended his head to one side, as if perplexed. _

_The silence was unbearable and I just about opened my mouth when he spoke._

"_Why did you turn him down?" he asked._

_I gazed into his eyes and I saw no ulterior motive in his blunt and honest question. Most people had an ulterior motive almost always with questions, and the few exceptions of that rule were..well Charlotte._

"_I believe in true love," I replied, defensively._

"_That still doesn't answer my question," he spoke, his eyes captured by some image as if in a trance or attempting to capture something._

_I scrambled mentally for my voice. "I'm waiting-"_

"_For what?" he said suddenly._

"_Someone I want to spend the rest of my life with," I replied honestly._

"_Despite status? Despite wages and squares of land? Despite-"_

"_Those things aren't going to make me happy with someone for the rest of my life…" I said cutting him off in return, "only temporarily."_

_He turned swiftly without a second glance, his long black cape flying behind him in echoing silence._

_I, however, stayed above the party below and gazed sparingly at the dark figure who stood out from everyone. _

_My mother was talking with a group of older ladies who went bent on comparing daughters and their husbands. My mother spotted me and pointed in an apparent answer to someone's question of where I was. I waved back down. Their faces staring up at me, squinting._

_But, what truly caught my eye was Charlotte and her family finally gathering the courage to ask Higurashi if he will accept her. _

_ I felt a tap on my shoulder._

_Turning, my mother was with her hands clasped, smiling silently with tears in her eyes. _

"_Mother? What is it?" I asked, worried._

"_Nothing. Nothing," she said, gathering my hands in her own," you look beautiful."_

_I turned back again to the show beneath me. _

"_The senator's son…he asked us for your hand in marriage."_

_I stared at the inevitable._

_I saw the words run out of Charlotte's mouth and I wanted to sweep up those words and put them back for her to save later._

_But, then I saw a mumbling from Higurashi, and expected the worst._

_But, Charlotte curtsied appropriately and smiled while leaving._

_I felt my heart clench. I did this…Why did I have to even talk to this man? I could've possibly ruined this for Charlotte, and now she'll never talk to me again._

_My mother snagged my shoulder to turn me around. She saw the tear gliding down my cheek._

"_Have you not heard a word I said?" she asked, angered._

"_I heard you," I repeated, calmly. "I am marrying Sesshomaru Higurashi." This sentence felt as if it was stolen from my mind's best kinds of dreams that started with loving words and ended with never ending sunsets._

It was spent. It was gone. And, in a way, I was gone. But, not really. I was integrated into a lifestyle of underlying meanings, treachery, big social events, and where marriage is the staple on every wealthy woman and the defining bow.

I am one of the many. I am Anna K. Higurashi.


	2. Chapter 2

After many I love yous, farewells, and don't forget to write, I stepped onto a train that was going to Moscow to visit my cousin's wife. My cousin, Miroku, had very lecherous and ungodly ways and Sango, who was like a sister, had come to me claiming that her husband had been cheating hundreds of times before. The only difference was that she saw him this time.

Miroku had sent me letters begging for me to "reason with the girl", for Sango was no fool signing the prenuptial agreement and was due the east wing of the house, the vacation house, two of the five carriages, and full custody of the children. Sango had graduated with a full-ride scholarship, an overall gpa of 4, and long immaculate hair with hips to match. To even question Miroku's need for vulgarity was to question what color the sun was, if you knew him.

Sesshomaru, like many other times, sighed off my departure pertaining to family matters and wished me a safe journey. Shippou, my son, was a whole different issue. I decided to tell him the news after a game. Not just any game, but his_ favorite_ game.

"Shippou!" I called out. Running through a maze of shrubs, in a stiff expensive dress, and tearing it, wasn't Sesshomaru's ideal definition of fun. So, I wore the same satin white dress as when I met him. It was pretty. It was way past last season's dress, so I imagine its rips and tears can't break his wallet too much.

"Come find me mother!" he called back. I laughed gaily and strong. I knew exactly where he was hiding. There was a little space of land that was a dead end in the center of the maze that had a fountain, and as long as you followed the sound of the water you would find it. My laughing constricted as I halted.

My husband was holding Shippou's arm, looking disapprovingly at his dirty socks then at me.

Shippou was the first to speak.

"Why are you leaving mother?!" he asked, rushing his words as if that would make the situation disappear.

I stared at Sesshomaru, neither of us breaking eye contact. "I have to go visit my cousin, Shippou."

Small hands wrapped around my waist as he laid his head on my stomach. I looked down at his clear cerulean eyes.

"Don't go mother. It's my birthday." I looked up and Sesshomaru was gone.

The gray clouds cried what I couldn't as rain dripped on my cheeks.

"I don't want to."

The women smiled appraisingly at me as I entered the train. Some smiled with jealously exposed in their eyes. Some smiled with genuity. Some smiled with satisfaction that a noble was entering their car.

I decided to sit by an open, elderly woman dressed in black. She smiled up at me with the same look Charlotte would give.

"So, you must be the famous Anna K. Higurashi? The wife of the senator Sesshomaru Higurashi..."

"Yes, Miss. I am."

"Oh, to be young! And, in love!" the woman shrilled. Then, she leaned in and gleamed at me mischievously. "When I was young, the only reason I would be taking a train anywhere is to meet with my concubine."

I coughed and choked on air.

Oh, you can't be serious! You've never had an affair?" she asked, rambling on.

"No! Ma'am, I don't know what part of the world you're from...but where I'm from we don't conduct ourselves like that in front of God."

She shrugged. "I didn't say out in front of the eyes of the public. That would be social suicide, now behind curtains and closed doors..." she said, drifting off. "This man named Ryoukkotsei and I were betrothed, but luckily the love of my life Inutaisho-"

Suddenly, the train jerked and I held onto the bench, silently praying this was just a minor malfunction while the train skipped to a stop.

A young man rose, and made eye contact with the woman.

"I shall go see what it is."

"Thank you InuYasha," she replied lazily, fanning followed after my stare, and explained.

That's my son, InuYasha."

He who looked identical to Sesshomaru yet shorter of stature with pointed animal ears and warmer eyes. _Inuyasha_, I thought.

I shook my head. I was a _married_ woman, for goodness sake! I couldn't possiblly be thinking of him in that manner. He was off limits, and I refused to be caught in a scandal-

I turned to look back at the woman sitting patiently across from me who was eyeing me with a smile full of mischievousness.

"Please, go on dear. Don't stop because of me. I'm just an unhallowed ,silly, old woman boring you with tales of scandalous affairs that would make sailors blush."

I turned away and started fanning myself.

Both of us women, stood standing out in the cold. Waiting on his return.

He seemed in a deep conversation with one of the workers.

I saw him motion wildly with his hands for something. I raised an eyebrow.

Then, he started walking towards us.

"Mother, it appears a drunk laborer was run over when in his stupor he fell off the train."

"Oh dear! Isn't there something someone can do for the family?" I mentioned.

He looked at me for the first time, and he took a moment to catch my attention, and apparently my breath.

His liquid gold eyes pierced through my mask I wore in polite society down to the core. Down to the alter ego that had finally awoken. With inflamed desires I didn't even knew existed. Here comes this man and I feel like I have to fall down on my knees and talk to a confessor.

He abruptly turned and I wanted to confess all my desires to him. But, for what reason? What would I want him to do? I was married. I had to be. I felt like the snake had just offered me an apple and I hungrily swallowed the whole thing in a single gulp. And, I felt that apple warm my lower stomach and sit there.

I saw him offer money in cash to the family in tears by the dead man. My bottom jaw hit the floor.

"Yes, it is in his mannerisms to do things like that," the old woman commented.

"What?"

"Become wrapped around a pretty girl's finger."

I snapped my fan shut with irritation.

"Well, you can tell him I'm married-"

"You can tell him," she offered slyly.

"Fine, I will," I snapped.

He whisked back over and took both of our arms. "Shall we go, miladies?"

His mother looked at me as if saying, _Well?_

I shot her a look saying, _I'll tell him later._

Just then, the old lady smiled and unlatched herself from her son.

"InuYasha, I have to go powder my nose.."

"-I'll go with you," I begged.

"No, I've got it. You both can sit in the cart. Get out of this weather," she ordered. For it was snowing...after all.

I entered into the opposite end of the car that he did. No one else sat in this car.

We both kept eye contact. For some reason he wouldn't stop staring. That's the only reason I kept staring. I was a feminist. I wouldn't show weakness in front of this man. Why should I?

I paused by the pole and swung around provocatively, looking at him behind strands of hair.

He seemed to look at me as if daydreaming.

I was his daydream.

I walked towards him switching my hold on the bars connected to each booth, with bated breath.

I raised my right hand, and he raised his left. Both our hands wanting to break this invisible barrier between us.

I suddenly felt his breath hitting my face. He smelled like expensive cologne, one much like many of the stiff nobles that I used to laugh at while turning them down.

I searched his eyes. For what? I didn't know, but I would know when I found it.

I suddenly found a vision where he slammed me against a window and pulled my hair. He felt the fabric covering my , ripped it off. He began passionately kissing my neck. Nipping it, licking it. Things my cursed husband would never do. My back arched towards him.

Every sense I had was on fire. In every sense, I wanted to be his.

Then, I found another vision where every number of my adornment was teased off, using this train as my stage. I stepped off the booth, loosening the straps of my corset.

"I want you to take it off, slowly," I whispered fiercely.

But, the vision that made me snap to reality was where Shippou was taken away from me, by _Sesshomaru_...

InuYasha tenderly grabbed my chin turning me back towards him. He asked why.

I shook my head rushing off the car.

The old lady yelled out. "Miss Kagome! Where are you going?"

I just kept running. And, I wished that I kept running. But, it seemed my heart ran in the opposite direction and kept beating that way.


End file.
